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P•a•r•a•d•o•x• o•f• F•i•c•t•i•o•n

A philosophical problem about how people can experience strong emotions from purely fictional things, such as art, literature, and imagination. The paradox draws attention to an everyday issue of how people are moved by things which, in many ways, do not really exist.

Remember how you always said that I would make it? I believed you because I wanted to believe that it would actually happen. I wanted it to be true but until I met you, I couldn’t afford to cherish the thought. It was a mere illusion for me, a dream that I couldn’t reach. It was the air that my lungs sought after; the medicine that I was ready to be given and the drug that kept me on toes, motivating me to keep going, pushing me to my limits. Pushing me until I fell.

In the end, I only have regrets regarding my debut. I shouldn’t have been so stupid, I should have just stepped on my dreams and walk towards another goal of mine. I was too adamant and that turned out to be my greatest weakness.

The first time when Donghyuck realised that there was something fishy about Dayoung’s behaviour was not long after the class excursion. He was perfectly aware of the fact that she was training hard and she needed to skip school in order to devote her study time to practice but when she was there, she wasn’t like herself. The usual hair braids disappeared and she was paler and thinner than ever. Her behaviour changed as well. She laughed less and it wasn’t even wholehearted; she looked like she didn’t enjoy anything anymore. However, every time he asked her why, she said that it was only because of her tight schedule, nothing else.

Donghyuck let it slip away time after time but he couldn’t sit still when one day, she suddenly stormed out of the classroom without any premonition. He ran after her and that’s how he found himself in the women’s restroom, talking to the door from behind he heard unmistakable noises.

“Dayoung, are you alright?” he asked, his voice laced with worry. He was literally shaking inside, even his heart rushed dull. He didn’t want to make a fool out of himself by demanding her answer and rushing into the women’s room but he was utterly and undeniably anxious. What was going on with her? What was that she was hiding from him?

The silence was hanging above them like a terrifying ghost. It was haunting them and whispering dreadful words into their ears. Donghyuck was literally shaking because he had never seen her like this before. She suddenly built up walls around her and he had no idea how he was supposed to break them down.

“Please, just say something,” his voice was raw and raspy. “Anything,” he whispered like a pray but to no avail. Dayoung’s answer wasn’t the one that he wanted to hear.

“Donghyuck, please, go.”

“No.”

“Please,” she repeated but this time, her voice was more fervent despite the shaky edge to it.

He let out an agitated sigh, his thoughts racing in his head. He was so worried but he didn’t know what else to say to convince her that he only wanted to help. Whereas, he did his best to persuade her about his intentions.

“I won’t go until you tell me what is going on. After that, I promise that I’ll scamper away but until you don’t tell me the truth, I won’t move an inch.”

“Why are you so strong-headed?” she cried out. A quiver in her voice was unmistakable and he soon heard her helpless sobbing that she failed to cover up. “You should ignore me and do your own business. After all, you’re my rival, you’re my sunbae and I’m just a nameless trainee under a company that is in conflict with yours.”

He gulped. Every word bit into him as she came up with the only thing that he couldn’t disagree with. Their